Six Fragments Make A Memory
by Nilmiel
Summary: “Wayward princess.” His words were gentle. She couldn’t remember her own.


_This is an older story I posted on my LJ a while ago. I decided to post it here, too._

_Disclaimer: Nope, not mine._

Six Fragments Make A Memory

There fragments of fragments of memories.

What she told Sora was true. She didn't remember at all where she came from. She did remember glimpses of people.

And then when she was split, her heart had eternities to meditate and remember. Fragments became shards, shards became pieces, and pieces became fractions. And one of those fractions was a boy.

She remembered he wasn't much older than she.

She remembered he was smart.

She remembered he was always in the depths of the Castle.

She remembered his hair was blue, and it shimmered.

And she remembered that he would look at her.

--

"Kairi?"

She woke up from her reverie. Sora was standing over her. She blinked up and smiled, and offered for him to sit down next to her. He smiled back at her. "And you call me lazy."

The two sat in silence and stared at the ocean for a while. It was nice to have his presence right there, Kairi thought. After all that time without even the memory of him to comfort her, it was bliss to have his solid presence next to her.

"What were you thinking about?" Sora broke the silence.

"Just… remembering things."

"Remembering? Oh, like how you forgot all about me?" He prodded playfully.

"I didn't mean to!" She retaliated. Sora grinned.

"So, what? I haven't seen you this sullen in a long time."

"I was thinking about where I came from, you know? I've been thinking about memories and how fickle they are. They just come and go."

Sora grinned. "I've been there. Or, so I've been told. I still don't remember anything. Even though Riku's told me about it at least twenty times when I get confused."

Kairi reached over and tousled his hair. Yes, it was definitely good to have him here.

--

When she was little, she would play in the castle. There were hallways to be explored, libraries to lounge in, and stories to listen to.

And there was a boy.

He was one of the apprentices.

He was smart.

He seemed kind.

--

"Kairi!"

Kairi snapped her head up and nearly fell off the tree she had been reclining on. Riku laughed at her reation.

"Oh, be quiet, Riku."

He waved it away. "It's fine. Hey, Sora and I are heading back. He told me to come wake you up."

"Did I fall asleep?"

"I'd assume so. You didn't answer the first three times I called you."

"Oh."

She'd been dreaming.

"Yeah, I'll be right there."

--

"You're Kairi, right?"

She'd been playing by herself in the castle again. She was running, making games with shadows and statues and mice, and run straight into a boy.

A boy with blue hair that shimmered.

She'd toppled over and stared up at him.

The boy smiled. But it was a half smile.

"Yes, I'm Kairi."

Her voice was small, timid, and light.

That was one fraction.

--

"Was it a good dream Kairi?"

Riku's voice startled her.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

Riku glanced at Sora across the boat. "Was it a good dream?" He asked again with a smile in his eyes. Kairi felt a blush cover her cheeks, knowing well what he was insinuating. "I don't know, I don't even remember what it was about."

Riku nodded knowingly. "Uh-huh."

"Shut up, Riku." Sora spoke up.

Kairi looked over at Sora and mouthed a thank you. She couldn't tell them the dream; there was nothing to tell. And of course Riku would make jokes about it.

The sun was setting in the sky, and the boys were rowing the boat back across the sea to their home. She was being ferried like a princess.

Riku was grinning again. "You really don't remember, then?" He asked. Kairi knew he was doing it just to get to Sora. And it worked.

Sora reached over and pushed him off the boat. Riku fell over with a great 'oof!' and the splash he made rocked the boat. He surfaced, laughing. Sora was laughing, too. "That's what you get!" He said leaning over to look down on the boy in the water.

That was a mistake.

Riku grabbed a hold of his arm and yanked him into the water as well. Sora flailed his arms and landed with a splash. Kairi was laughing now, too.

"You guys had better hurry up and get back in, or I'm leaving without you!" She cried in mock threat.

Her two boys clambered over one another in an attempt to get back into the boat first, but all they managed to do was knock each other back in at least three times before Sora finally crawled over the edge. Riku followed.

Her two soaking wet boys shook their heads and got water everywhere. She held up her hands to protect herself from getting wet. "You guys!" She squealed with laughter.

The three laughed together, and the two rowed the one back to land like a princess.

--

The boy with blue hair saw her again in the library. She was pouring over a book she didn't remember when he was standing in front of her.

"Wayward princess,"

His words were gentle. She couldn't remember her own.

He smiled the same half smile. The boy with blue hair plucked a rose from the vase on the table and tucked it behind her hair.

"Now you look less like a vagabond," He said.

Her words weren't there.

That was another fraction.

--

He was an apprentice.

She remembered now. An apprentice, a boy only a few years older than her, an apprentice. And he was her friend.

"Kairi,"

She was walking with him through the halls of the castle, down, down, deeper. They were going to the lab.

"Kairi," Not princess. Not dear, or your highness, but Kairi.

They were going to the lab.

Don't go in the lab.

A third fraction makes a half of a memory.

--

"Sit on the wall with me, come sit outside."

She knew it was her own voice that spoke now. It was soft, but not as timid as it was before.

And they sat on the wall together, hands brushing hands.

Another fraction.

--

Roses and daisies tucked behind her ears.

The boy with blue shimmering hair running through hallways with her.

There was happiness and freedom.

Just one more.

--

"Kairi!"

Kairi rubbed her eyes and sat up. Sunlight was in her window. It was morning.

They were probably going to the island again, she thought.

She threw on clothes and stumbled downstairs to the door. And Sora was there. He smiled the smile that lit up his whole face. "Me and Riku were wondering when you were gonna get up," He said. "I'm glad you've rejoined the land of the living," He held his hand out to her.

"Ha, ha, very funny, Sora." Kairi laughed. She took his hand.

"Riku's probably already on the island."

"Then let's get going!"

--

"Let's go, come on, please-"

She was begging.

She didn't remember why.

She was holding the boy's hand.

The boy with shimmering blue hair.

"Don't go in there, don't go in the lab--"

He said something, but there wasn't anything she could remember.

His hair still shimmered.

A feather-light kiss on her forehead.

And then darkness and a meteor shower.

Six fractions makes a memory.

--

"Sora?"

"Yeah?"

It was sunset again, and the two were sitting on the beach.

"Are memories always this annoying and incomplete?"

Sora looked over and grinned at her. "If I could remember, I'd tell you."

She laughed.

There was nothing better than his solid presence.

And a feather-light kiss on her forehead.


End file.
